Improved table-cover



lUNTTED STATES PATENT CEETCE.

ALBERT L. MUNSON, OF NEW' HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPRovl-:D TABLE-COVER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,390, dated May 1, 1866.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. MUNsoN, of the city and county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented and made a new and useful Improvement in Table-Covers 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is full and accurate description thereof, in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of lthis specification, and which consists of a single ligure, representing a table-cover of my construction nished and applied to its designed use.

The nature of my invention consists in the manufacture of a table cover from paper, whether with or without a backing of cotton or other cloth, and has for its object the production of such article at a low price, and yet of a smooth and ne quality, and with or without a water-repellent surface, and embellished in any desired style by means of embossing, color-printing', painting, gilding', or any other known mode of embellishing the surface of paper. When paper aloneis used for this purpose care should be taken to have it manufactured of such stock and in such manner as to obtain a thick and tenacious material susceptible` of receiving and retaining a smooth and even surface imparted by the usual process of calenderin g. Parchment paper, or a paper made from a vegetable and animal liber or from wood liber, may be used.

Either in the making of the paper or at any preferred subsequent stage in the manufacture of the table-cover an imitation of a woven fabric may be imparted to it by any of the means known and practiced in the art of paper-making, or by subsequent embossing 5 and, in addition to this effect, a border and other iigures appropriate to a table-cover may be given to it at the same time and in the same manner as above stated. This process is particularly applicable to table covers or cloths intended to retain a white or brown color, or

`any desired tint, and they may be finished by the application of a thin soft colorless varnish, for which purpose I prefer the following formula, viz: white gum-copal, four ounces; alcohol, one quart; gum-camphor, one ounce, gum-mastic,two ounces; Venice turpentine or Canada balsam, one ounce; add white lead or white zinc to give body.

Designs of whatever character, and including any desired combinations of colors, may be imparted to these covers by transferring or printing in the well-known modes. The covers should be made and finished several patterns upon a continuous piece or roll of paper, though this is not essential. These covers may also be flocked, according to usual processes, and, further, may be embellished by painting or gilding any desired gure upon them, and may be perforated to imitate lace borders or other Iigures.

When cloth is to be used on the back of the paper to give it thickness and tenacity, it should be applied preferably immediately after the production of the paper from the mill, that the drying andcalendering processes may tend to consolidate the material. vThe sizing used in this process may also be applied in quality and quantity with reference to the same purpose; but this art, as practiced in preparing paper for collars and other purposes, is well known and entirely appropriate for the present object. The varnish used in finishing these covers may be slightly stronger and darker than that already described.

It will be necessary to make these table-covers of various sizes to meet the general demand, as they will be applied alike to the large dining-table and to the smallest lamp-stand or work-stand; but in order to facilitate their adaptation to general use it will prove advantageous to so fashion the patterns or designs of the borders that any one of several lines may be chosen as the outline of a particular cover, and the material may be trimmed down to this line.

These covers may be made square, round, oblong, star-shaped, or of any other desired form.

As the corners of a table will always present points of strain for these covers, separate pieces of canvas should accompany each cover. ready prepared to be applied to strengthen and cushion the cover at each corner. The liquid y glue of commerce will be appropriate for this purpose, though other obvious means of at tachmcnt Will present themselves. The cover A table cover made of paper, whether should be folded at these points in imitation strengthened with cloth or not, ornamented of drapery, and these folds may be set by glue, substantially as described, and for the purgum, or sewing in such manner as to conceal pose set forth.

the means of attachment. In testimony whereof I hereunto sign my I make no claim to any process herein dename this 5th day of February, 1866. scribed, nor to any other article of manufacture produced by these or equivalent means; Witnesses: but J. SHAW,

' E. B. STURGEON.

ALBERT L. MUNsoNL 

